Microwave hydrothermally synthesized WO3/UiO-66 nanocomposites toward enhanced photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B

A novel nanocomposite (WO3/UiO-66) was successfully synthesized by the microwave hydrothermal method. The influence of the W:Zr molar ratio on the WO3/UiO-66 structure was explored in detail, and the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite for photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) was evaluated. The WO3/UiO-66 with a W:Zr molar ratio of 1:5 (WO3/UiO-66–5) exerted the most excellent photocatalytic performance, and the photocatalytic efficiency reached 96.6% after 100 min of simulated sunlight irradiation, thereby showing a higher photocatalytic performance than pure UiO-66 or pure WO3. In addition, the stability and reusability of the nanocomposite were studied by cyclic experiments, and the degradation rate of WO3/UiO-66–5 still reached 86.6% after 5 cycles. The mechanism underlying the photocatalytic degradation of WO3/UiO-66 was finally studied by quenching tests, and the crucial factor in the RhB degradation was hole (h+), and the existence of the n–n heterojunction also promotes the degradation of RhB by nanocomposites. In this work, an effective method is provided for the preparation of photocatalysts that degrade organic dyes.